Founders’ Message

In our capacity as Co-Directors of The New Direction, my wife Margaret and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves to you and to briefly describe our method for helping addicts and alcoholics.

Since 1977, the year we first opened the doors of our Catskill Mountain farmhouse to recovering alcoholics/addicts, Margaret and I have remained committed to the same basic philosophy for helping alcoholics and persons addicted to other drugs. The cornerstone of this philosophy has always been the Twelve-Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Our mission at The New Direction is to help men and women who are experiencing addiction to various substances, including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and prescription drugs. The recent epidemic of opiate based drugs, including Oxycontin, Vicodin, and Percocets, has afflicted people of all ages and backgrounds, including young people who are often most vulnerable to peer pressure to begin the use of these drugs. Understanding the needs of our individual guests is critically important to us and is the basis of our practice of offering a variable length of stay, typically 21-28 days, based on the severity of the addiction as well as the specific drugs of choice.

Over the years, we have found a rigorous education on the 12 Step model of recovery, along with individual and group meetings, superb home-cooked meals and the sheltered, peaceful atmosphere we provide has all proven to be the right combination for our guests. Here they experience the physical and emotional safety necessary to begin the journey back from the isolation of addiction. We have learned that staying small in scale, and staying committed to the family atmosphere that we foster. This encourages the newcomer to begin the practice of giving and accepting support, and re-claiming the self-esteem that addiction has stolen from them.

Guests attend daily in-house group meetings conducted both mornings and afternoons by staff facilitators, each meeting lasting approximately two hours. Guests are also afforded ample opportunities for individual meetings during their stay.

Because we each feel it is vitally important to include family members, we encourage visits every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Beginning at 1:00 PM on Saturday, we facilitate a meeting for the family which includes an explanation of the disease concept of alcoholism/addiction as well as an introduction to the Al-Anon Family program.

Our commitment to, and experience with, high-functioning alcoholics and addicts, many of whom are engaged in stressful occupations, has given The New Direction a special niche. While we recognize the proper role of larger, more institutionalized facilities, we have found our effectiveness is a result of our willingness to stay small… to stay very much a family in spirit.

We have built our reputation by continuing to offer the recovering person a rigorous education on 12 step recovery at very affordable rates, along with generous portions of home-cooked food, peaceful surroundings, and a warm supportive atmosphere.